Until a year-and-a-half ago, 20-year-old Bengaluru boy Sagar Shastri was just another wide-eyed music enthusiast, like hordes of others in the city. A law student, who juggles full-time college with a fledgling career in music, there was often very little than innate passion which kept him going. But, looks like, burning the midnight oil and working those vocals out is finally channelising his profession in the right way – as this ‘Luru youngster with a fire in his vocals is all set to open for The Jois Project on November 4 with percussionist Vishal as part of their band, Shastri Kacheri. In a candid chat, the lead singer and guitarist tells us more...
For a journey that is relatively new, the new-age Kannada song-writer, lead singer and guitarist of his band Sashtri Kacheri, is stoked to have landed an opportunity to open for a gig so big. “Hemanth Jois is one of the most happening musicians right now. I look up to him and I’m inspired by him. So, opening for him is a big deal and a doorway to more things in the future. The gig was a surprise for me, and Siddharth, an acquaintance from the band Aathma, is to be thanked,” begins Sagar. His band currently comprises three other band members i.e. Roshan on the Fretless bass, Prithvi on the lead and Vishal on percussion. However, this concert will only feature the lead vocalist perform live with his percussionist, Vishal.
A yearning to carve a niche for himself and explore different horizons is what fueled Sagar to take the plunge into forming his band Shastri Kacheri. “The idea has always been about wanting to collaborate with newer and fresher talent, who share a common love for music as much as I do. I can say that my music is an expression of my perspective of the world. I’m not genre restricted and my music is constantly evolving. Hence, it would be safe to say that Shastri Kacheri is the band I started to collaborate with different musicians and explore my horizon,” he reiterates.
For now, his music revolves around folk rock and pop rock - with emphasis on the vernacular language of the state. Speaking about his musical influences, Sagar enthuses, “I’ve been influenced a lot by the big bands of the west like Queen, Pink Floyd, Linkin Park, Iron maiden. And I was also in a metal band. But gradually, I wanted to find my own voice to express myself and inspired by the Indian acts such as Swarathma, Raghu Dixit and others. I started writing my own songs in Kannada and took the risk of starting something on my own,” shares the artiste, who is also a trained guitarist from the Trinity College of London.
Looking at things from a retrospect, Sagar is excited to be performing on stage with percussionist Vishal, at a venue which carries a lot of memories.
“I was all over the place when I got to know about the venue and whom we were opening for. This is very special to me because, I used to attend open mics in The Humming Tree, waiting for half a day to perform for 10 minutes in front of almost no audience. Coming back here after a year with a whole set is very special,” he shares.
Speaking about his forthcoming performance and what’s next, Sagar signs off with an evident streak of glimmer in his eyes. “If you want to experience something new, different and are open to new ideas, we would love for you to come and show us some support. And, also if you are a fan of rock and want to see a whole new rock scene which is emerging in our city, we won’t disappoint you. That aside, we are getting set to release our first single in the early months of next year! So, watch out for us!” Shastri Kacheri will be opening for The Jois Project on November 4 at 8pm at The Humming Tree, Indiranagar.
